Potato-slicer.



No. 780,654. y I PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905. y H. HANSGN. h POTATO SLIGER.

APPLIUATION FILEDMAR. 18, 1904. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JAN, 24.1905.

Y H. HANSON.

POTATO SLIGBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED STATES Patented January 24, 1905. i

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY HANSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MARIE A. HANSON,OFSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA..

POTATO-SLICER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,654, dated January24, 1905.

Application lled March 18, 19.04. Serial No. 198,786. y

T all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HARRY HANsoN, a citizenof the United States, residing in the city and county of San Franciscoand State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements inPotato-Slicers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fruit and vegetable cutters, andparticularly in 'apparatus for slicing `potatoes into long strips, thesestrips being known when cooked as French-fried. Its object is toprovidea simple practical machine for doing this work whereby a savingin time,labor, and material will be effected and whereby greateruniformity in result will be accomplished than where the work is done byhand.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts, as hereinafter more fully described, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of mydevice. Fig. 2 is a section on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an -endView of my device. Fig. L is a View showing two sets of knives arrangedto cut a strip square in crossfsection. Fig. 5 shows two sets of knivesarranged to cut a strip diamond shape in cross-section. Fig. 6 showsthree sets of knives arranged to cut a strip triangular incross-section. Fig. 7 is a modification. Fig. 8 is a sectionon line oiFig. 7. v

A represents a frame of suitable size and material, open at the top andinclosing a trou-gh for tlie article to be sliced and provided with theinwardly-turned top edges or` flanges 2, serving as guides for thereciprocating plunger 3. Any suitable means-as, for instance, thehand-lever i-may be employed to reciprocate the plunger. A spring 5tends to hold the plungerin normally retracted position. The potato tobe sliced is dropped into the trough in front of the plunger and bymeans of the latter is shoved up against al set of knives 6 7 8. Thesesets of knives are each mounted in separate removable rectangularframes,which are adapted to be inserted into a suitable holder 9 in theend of the frame. This holder has front and rear guide-walls separatedsuicient to receive the three sets o1c knives, and the rear wall of theholder has an opening corresponding to the knife area for the egress ofthe sliced material. Any two sets of knives may be used conjunctivelyorthe three may be used simultaneously, ac-

cording to the desired shape in cross-section-l of the potato-strip tobe cut.- For instance, if a potato-strip square in cross-section, as perFig. 4L, is desired the knives 6 7, disposed at right angles to eachother, onlywould be used,being locked in position in the machine bymeans of the screw-followers 10. If a.

strip'diamond shape lin cross-section, as per Fig. 5, is desired, one orthe other of knives 6 7, together with knife 8, would be used.

The use oi' the three knives conjunctively produces a strip triangularin cross-section, as per Fig. 6. The screws 10, pressing from the rear,force the forward knife always closeup terstices of knives 6 7- and pushthe strips through and out of interference with the strips of succeedingpotato insertions. The bottom of the holder 9 is perforated, as at 11,to let the juices escape.

rlhe inwardly-turned lianges 2 of the frame serve not only as guides forthe plunger, but act to prevent the article to be sliced from jumpingout of the trough.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modification of the invention in which the sameprinciple of a flanged frame, slotted plunger, and a plurality ofindependently-removable separable sets of knives are employed, but inwhich I substitute for the means before described to reciprocate theplunger a hand-lever 4E', mounted above the trough and having a toothedsegment 12, arranged to engage at each reciprocation a rack 13 on theplunger-rod 14. rIhe latter is slidable in suitable Vguides in frame Ato prevent its turning.- The plunger can easily be removed by taking outthe knives and throwing the lever 4- to the position shown in dottedlines to disengage the segment 12 from the rack 18.

IOO

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a potato-Slicer the combination of a plunger, a frame open at thetop and inclosing a trough for the article to be sliced said framehaving its sides provided with horizontal guides, a holder rigid withone end of the frame and having front and rear guide-walls said rearWall having an opening for the egress of sliced material, a series ofvertical openeenter frames in the holder and arranged in horizontalseries, a single set of parallel knives secured across the opening ofeach frame whereby the several sets are presented in intersecting planesin the path of the plunger, screws passing through the rear guide- Wallof the holder and removably securing the entire series or any lessnumber of frames in the holder, and means for operating the plunger.

2. In a vegetable-cutter the combination with a plunger of a trough-likesupport and a holder communicating therewith and including a bottom,vertical sides and frontand rear walls,independent vertical open-centerframes arranged in horizontal series and provided with sets of knivesarranged in intersecting planes in the path of the plunger, screw-foklowers passing' through the rear wall of the holder and adapted to clampthe frames against said front wall, and means including a lever, atoothed segment carried thereby and a rock-bar fixed to the plunger, foractuating the latter.

In testimony whereoi` I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing` witnesses.

HARRY HANSON.

Titnessesz CLAY I). GooDING, S. H. NoURs'E.

